


momentum

by ryozumi



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Banter, M/M, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:42:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26557570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ryozumi/pseuds/ryozumi
Summary: When Yamato’s eyes meet Tenn’s again, Tenn seems inconvenienced, like he’d expected the conversation to drop off and isn’t too pleased with Yamato’s efforts to keep it going. Yamato can hardly blame him. In any other case he’d have been content to drop it and pass their break in silence, meaningless small talk be damned.And yet here he is, damning himself. (Not actually a new, or surprising, development by any means.)
Relationships: Kujou Ten/Nikaidou Yamato
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21
Collections: IDOLiSH7 Rarepairs Week 2020





	momentum

Call it past experience or call it instinct, but Yamato harbored no preconceived notions that a collaboration with either Trigger or Re:vale would go particularly smoothly, much less both in the same project, and especially not when paired in a duo with Trigger’s center.

Tenn’s something of an enigma, at least from a personal perspective. His professionalism is only outmatched by his dedication to his fans; for someone to maintain a public facade so well certainly requires outstanding skill, if not an unhealthy level of devotion. Even to someone as practiced as Yamato it’s beyond impressive, and thanks to Tsumugi and the rest of IDOLiSH7 he understands intimately the kind of influence Kujo Tenn holds not only over aspiring idols, but over the hearts of fans throughout all of Japan.

Pairing up with someone like that, regardless of the fact that it’s a smaller role, will require all of Yamato’s focus and energy. He’ll be outdone and left behind if he lets his guard down for even a moment and from his position as IDOLiSH7’s leader, as a member of Trigger’s rival group, and simply as an actor, that’s something he can’t allow to happen.

(...All of that said, he has to admit, what a goddamn marvelous stroke of luck he wasn’t paired with Yuki.)

  
—

“You look distracted, Kujo,” are the first real words Yamato says to Tenn after their greeting at the door, and the first words to disturb the rather tranquil atmosphere once they’ve settled in place. 

Truth be told, he hadn’t expected Tenn to go as far as suggesting they take time outside of their group sessions to meet and practice for the Hoshimeguri drama one on one, but, well, with the current state of Trigger’s affairs and how dedicated to his work he is, it makes sense for Tenn to want to dedicate even more of himself to his current projects than normal.

Tenn hasn’t offered the information, but Yamato suspects Trigger’s apartment is vacant save for the two of them, leaving them to practice in peace; Tenn had probably planned out the most sensible time and place, since they couldn’t have expected to get much work done if Riku had been present at the dorms and he doubts Gaku and Ryuu would be so quiet (read: unobtrusive) with a visitor around. He’s not quite sure how to interact with Tenn without any buffers around (he’s not even sure of how well Tenn likes or dislikes him), so he figures he may as well test the waters.

At Yamato’s comment, Tenn lifts his eyes from the script in his lap and fixes Yamato with a slight frown—likely out of irritation, considering how he hadn’t noticed Yamato had been watching him. 

“Not at all,” he counters after taking a moment to decide how to respond. He returns to his previous occupation without another word, fingers lifting to rest against his chin in a habitual gesture.

Yamato leans back in his seat and sips the drink Tenn set down for him, careful not to let his eyes linger on Tenn too long, lest he be caught this time around. Tenn’s gaze, meanwhile, lingers on each page long enough to _appear_ to be reading through it, but his eyes flicker about, the inability to focus softening the usual sharpness found there.

“Maybe it’s about the script?” Yamato suggests nonchalantly. “Though we don’t exactly have many lines this time.”

When Yamato’s eyes meet Tenn’s again, Tenn seems inconvenienced, like he’d expected the conversation to drop off and isn’t too pleased with Yamato’s efforts to keep it going. Yamato can hardly blame him. In any other case he’d have been content to drop it and pass their break in silence, meaningless small talk be damned.

And yet here he is, damning himself. (Not actually a new, or surprising, development by any means.)

Despite all of their group collaborations, the two of them have almost never worked closely with one another. Of course, he’s received his fill of snappy one-liners, heard a plethora of praise from Riku and Sougo alike, and seen plenty of Trigger’s performances and otherwise for himself to judge that if there’s anything he _does_ know about Kujo Tenn, it’s that he is an actor above all else. Everything he does is deliberate, practiced and measured to the point of ensuring he’s seen as he wants to be, to the means he wants to achieve—not unlike Yamato himself, or at least the version of himself he’s trying to leave behind. 

If that’s anything to guess by, he doubts he’s seen much of the true Kujo Tenn at all. Maybe that’s the excuse he makes to himself as he refuses to back down, holding Tenn’s gaze with an easy smile.

Tenn eventually yields; if Yamato had to guess, the most likely explanation would be that Tenn _had_ brought him here on business and decided to act as such. Tenn leans back on the sofa with a nearly imperceptible sigh, twirling a long lock of hair around a finger. “I was simply fascinated by how unusual of a role this is for you,” he comments at last.

Well, Tenn’s obviously trying to turn the conversation around on him, but it sounds enough like a genuine answer that he’ll let it pass. He allows himself a small laugh as he fingers the corner of the page they’ve paused on. “You mean how I’m always cast as a villain of sorts.”

It’s not a question—Yamato’s well aware of the disproportionate amount of villainous roles he’s taken up throughout his acting career, after all—but Tenn replies in kind anyway. “Yes and no.”

Yamato waits a minute for Tenn to elaborate, but all he does is hold the cup of tea he’d made for himself up to his chest, eyes returning to the script open in his lap and effectively cutting the conversation off there. The ensuing silence, while not uncomfortable, leaves Yamato decidedly unsatisfied, and like he does any other time he’s burdened with a feeling of disappointment (and, admittedly, against any kind of better judgement) Yamato charges past it out of spite.

“Well, I guess compared to how you and your character are, mine would seem strange. A king of a planet full of hedonists doesn’t sound like much of a challenge for you.”

Tenn’s eyes snap to Yamato’s in an instant, glinting with a light he can’t quite describe, though his lips twist into something resembling a smirk.

“Each role has its own unique challenges,” Tenn eventually responds, breaking eye contact, pointedly neither confirming nor denying the blatant implication of Yamato’s comment.

Yamato hums. “Sardinia’s perfect for you, though.”

“I’ll play any role I’m given perfectly regardless of its challenges or how much it suits me. Though...I don’t think Sardinia suits me as well as you think.”

Something about the change in Tenn’s tone halfway through his reply gives Yamato pause. While he’d seemed to speak the words almost mechanically, nothing about them comes across as particularly strange (Tenn is, again, nothing if not dedicated to his work) but once again, it sounds like there’s more he’s leaving unsaid.

“That a good or bad thing?”

“Depends.” Tenn tilts his head as he cradles his cup of tea to his chest. “Do you enjoy playing the villain just because it suits you?”

“Point taken.” Yamato pulls the edge of his script up to cover his mouth and peer over the top of it. Tenn takes a long sip, not bothering to observe his coy act.

“Do you really think Sardinia and I are alike?”

“...That’s an interesting question to ask when I’ve already told you I do.” 

That earns Yamato a look that’d render Tenn’s fans speechless. “There must be an actual reason as to why you do.”

A quiet minute passes as Yamato takes a long sip of his own, using the time to dredge up some explanation that won’t earn him another look. He sinks further into his chair as Tenn swirls the liquid around in his cup.

“He’s acquainted with Yaotome’s and Tsunashi-san’s characters. Makes your role one that’s suited to showing off the chemistry between Trigger,” he offers at last.

Tenn sighs with a shake of his head, unsatisfied with the answer. “Gaku told me you were lazy, but I didn’t think it went this far.”

“Yaotome knows my drunk self best,” Yamato deadpans. “And anyway, that’s not it.”

“Then what else?”

Yamato scratches at the back of his neck. He’s not confident he can actually put together an answer that’ll satisfy Tenn, considering his limited knowledge through their mild acquaintance. Is Tenn’s insistence some kind of twisted revenge for Yamato’s earlier remark, or is it, maybe, thinking back on Tenn’s vexation while flipping through the script restlessly, a genuine question to gain more insight into a character who Tenn might not actually understand that well?

Whichever it is, Yamato’s sure Tenn would at the least scoff at the suggestion of him ever relying on a rival group member for advice.

“Hm, how to put it…” he drawls, making no effort to hide the fact that he’s stalling for time. “What makes you think you’re _not_ so alike?”

Tenn delicately raises a brow. “This is pointless. You don’t know me well enough to find a likeness to begin with.”

“No,” Yamato allows; that very fact has been on his mind the entire time, after all. “But I know enough about people to be able to tell when I’ve hit a mark.”

“Why did you decide to continue working as an idol when you knew everyone else would be put at risk?”

The question, an obvious reference to Yamato’s recent public (and extremely embarrassing) confession, hangs in the air between them, completely derailing Yamato’s thoughts—which, if he’s not mistaken, is entirely according to Tenn’s plan. “Interesting subject change,” he responds eventually, tone flat.

Tenn’s lips curl with what Yamato can only interpret as satisfaction. “Well, regardless of the reason, it was a choice you made. Am I wrong?”

“...You’re not wrong.”

“You have impressive acting skills, Nikaido Yamato.” Before Yamato has a chance to process the praise, Tenn follows it up with, “But you were free to live your life the way you wanted. Your father never tried to force you to follow in his footsteps.”

Yamato wants to say no, considering how such a move would’ve been incredibly risky regarding Chiba’s reputation and career, but before he can make any kind of snide comment, a memory of a bouquet of moth orchids flashes across his mind’s eye. The truth might actually be further from that than Yamato is comfortable admitting to anyone yet, so he remains silent.

Luckily, Tenn doesn’t press him for an answer to that one, continuing on in his uniquely mild yet confident way. “Sardinia never had any choice but to do so, and thanks to that legacy, is able to claim whatever he desires, because what he wants will always be within reach and attainable to him. For him, it has been since birth.”

 _Ah_. Yamato can’t help but note similarities between the way Tenn describes Sardinia’s life to Trigger’s situation with Yaotome Productions and wonders whether Tenn is doing so consciously.

“On top of that, he’s whimsical, selfish, materialistic and careless. You may have something of a point about the chemistry with Gaku’s and Ryuu’s roles, but that’s the only resemblance as far as I can see.”

Yamato tilts his head as he watches Tenn, considering something he can’t quite parse yet. “What about Shinkai?”

Surprisingly, Tenn pauses. “Shinkai is...interesting, but more difficult to understand. He’s hardly like you, either.”

“Thanks for the compliment,” Yamato murmurs dryly. “But fair. It’s strange.”

Tenn smiles and sets his now empty cup down without so much as a _clink_. “I’m glad you see that resemblance.”

If it were anyone else sitting across from him, Yamato would be overwhelmed by the temptation to give them a good elbow, but if Gaku’s stories are anything to judge by, Tenn’s bite is just as bad as his bark, and Yamato doesn’t feel like losing an arm today. “Not what I meant. I meant how they don’t know a damn thing about each other, and yet they’re close enough to be a pair.”

“I suppose. When Shinkai leaves with Fang, they’ve only known each other for about...two days.”

“Give or take an hour.”

Tenn concedes a small smile, but it’s quickly overshadowed by the furrow in his brow. “What does this have to do with Sardinia and me?”

With no choice now but to sift through the thoughts stuffed in the massive hole he’s now dug himself into, Yamato sinks fully into the cushions, mindful of the mug still in his hand as well as Tenn’s keen gaze. He shifts his glasses up his nose and rubs the space between his eyes, forcing himself to judge the situation from the point of view of a character unlike himself.

Shinkai appears out of nowhere, as nothing more than a mysterious traveler who wanders the presence of a king he knows neither the name nor face of, and who doesn’t change a thing about himself even after Sardinia clues him in to his identity. Add that to his premonition of danger, which has hardly any substance to it—from an unknown musician to one of the most renowned tarot readers on the planet, you’d think of it as no more than a tasteless joke and brush him off immediately. 

And yet—Sardinia is clearly intrigued by, even _taken with_ everything about him, going so far as to request his return the next night. After all, even as his king, what power does he hold over someone who doesn’t understand that power to begin with? Shinkai is airheaded and mysterious, but more than anything, he’s free—free from expectations, free from responsibility, free to roam the world as he pleases. Something that is, for that moment, completely out of Sardinia’s reach.

Eventually, unable to come up with any elegant way to phrase his thoughts under the pressure of Tenn’s gaze, Yamato gestures vaguely into the air. “Well, it’s like...he looks like he could have anything he wants, but don’t you think Sardinia’s kind of trapped?”

There’s no response to his confused observation; when he glances over at Tenn, he finds Tenn still staring back at him, though his expression has shifted into one so strange Yamato immediately breaks eye contact.

“Ah...that’s not what I—”

“Then what _did_ you mean?”

Hesitantly, he meets Tenn’s eyes again. There’s no trace of whatever had clouded his expression a moment ago, only the usual neutrality Yamato is accustomed to.

“I mean...his planet was isolated from others for years.” As Yamato starts, he continues to study Tenn, waiting for any kind of reaction. “He never had a chance to find out what else he might’ve wanted to do with his life—he’s probably been bound by duty since birth. If that wasn’t the case, why’d he grow so attached to someone like Shinkai, who’s so different?”

For a second, Tenn considers it—then dismisses it just as quickly with a wave of his hand, like he’s wiping Yamato’s guesswork off a board. “Like I said, he’s greedy. Shinkai’s mysteriousness is a novelty and Sardinia merely takes him in to satisfy his whims.”

“But he didn’t take him in. Shinkai could have left and gone anywhere, with anyone. And yet he asked specifically, more than once, for Shinkai to come back to him.”

Though Tenn’s face remains impassive, Yamato’s close enough to see his hand twitch where it grips the script. 

“...Even so. In the end, this is all baseless speculation.”

“Is that all it is?”

“Of course.”

Several seconds pass by in silence, during which Yamato leans back in his seat again.

“Do you think Sardinia was lonely?” he asks pointedly at long last, tilting his head provokingly as Tenn stiffens in place. “Or maybe just...jealous?”

On some level he expects Tenn to ignore him and suggest (“suggest”) they begin reading through their lines again, and on another, he anticipates Tenn’s sharp eyes to cut straight through him and refuse to allow him another word.

What he gets is, needless to say, what he doesn’t expect.

“That’s not like me.”

It takes Yamato a long moment to process that Tenn’s piercing gaze is now hovering mere inches away from his own. His hands grip the arms of the chair on either side of Yamato, holding him at the perfect height to meet Yamato’s eyes levelly. Yamato is effectively trapped in place, and he can’t help but feel as if it’s a deliberate mockery of his earlier implications about Tenn. His script slides off his lap as he shifts, suddenly restless under such scrutiny.

“Is that so.” Yamato closes his fingers around one of Tenn’s wrists.

Tenn responds to his challenge with a bright smile, clearly refusing to back away when he settles his knee on the cushion between Yamato’s legs. “No. I’m not in the habit of chasing after things I can’t have.”

Yamato tightens his grip on Tenn’s wrist, fully aware that the closer Tenn gets, the easier he’ll yield—he doesn’t have any particular reservations, after all, and Tenn seems terribly intent on getting whatever he’s after. Still, he wants to get at least one decent reaction out of Tenn. He raises his own leg against Tenn’s until he connects, and is rewarded with a near imperceptible shiver and the faintest blush coloring Tenn’s cheeks. 

“Is there really nothing you can’t have?” he murmurs, provoking Tenn with a smirk one last time.

Tenn’s eyes snap up to his.

“Why don't you think it over and find out for yourself.”

Tenn narrows his eyes as he closes the remaining distance between them, and Yamato’s left unable to do much thinking at all.

**Author's Note:**

> all we need is a little bit
> 
> hello terrible news i'm still on my rarepair bs and see no signs of stopping anytime soon. experience more of it [here](https://twitter.com/chikageyuki) if you like to make bad decisions like yamato does
> 
> big thanks to [ken](https://twitter.com/glitchgoats) for being the beta for this mess, and big thanks to you for reading. i hope you enjoyed it! d(´∀｀；)ゞ


End file.
